[WEB4LIB] Serendipity, re: organizing schemes

[Dan Lester]

At 08:28 AM 5/3/99 -0700, Nick Arnett wrote:
>While call numbers themselves may disappear, the idea of grouping related
>materials makes more sense than ever, IMO.  This is the only way that
>people will find things serendipitously.

Absolutely.  The exact analogue of "browsing in the stacks".  Though 
conceptually different, this is what makes "webrings" and similar services 
work so well.


>There is a third benefit that is just beginning to emerge, though I suspect
>in the long run it's the one that will really change information search and
>retrieval.  Unlike an organizing system implemented in the physical world,
>a digital system can support multiple, overlapping classification
>schemes.

Exactly.  Some of the old timers will recall Ranganathan's Faceted 
Classification.  (Is it still taught, even in advanced cataloging and 
classification?)   The multiple classifications were what made it so 
valuable, AND made it truly international, as the classes could be labelled 
in any language.

cheers

dan



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Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716 USA 208-383-0165
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